Colombia native Daniel Vallejo moved to 91大黄鸭 when he learned the Okanagan鈥檚 mountains were perfect for him to hone his paragliding skills.
Vallejo started competing in 2016 in Columbia, before representing Canada in Paragliding Accuracy competitions. He is currently ranked second in Canada and 519th in the world.
Recently, after being unable to find sponsors, he started a that he said will help with travel costs as he continues to compete until he can reach his goal at the world championship in Serbia in May. But first, he has to qualify.
Vallejo said he will be gliding in other competitions in order to bring his ranking into the top 500. The $5,000 he is requesting on the fundraiser will go towards travelling expenses.
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It鈥檚 not something like hockey or soccer in Canada, it鈥檚 more of a club, he said. In Serbia, if he does well, he qualifies for the finals.
鈥淪erbia, for me, is like the world champions before the world games,鈥� Vallejo said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just the best of the best.鈥�
The 26-year-old has been in Canada since he was 16, but didn鈥檛 take up the sport until heartbreak led him to ask his father, a fellow paraglider, to teach him.
After starting lessons in a field, 鈥渕y dad, he told me, 鈥榶ou鈥檙e going to learn with an actual instructor鈥欌�� he didn鈥檛 want me to go (through) what he went through,鈥� he said, adding his father broke his legs learning the sport.
Vallejo comes from a family of paragliders, his father and mother are both judges in Columbia.
鈥淢y first competition had over 48 pilots and I ranked 18,鈥� he said. His father, Walter, taught him to respect his natural surroundings and to learn from it.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just going and flying. We don鈥檛 belong (in the sky.) If we go there we need to respect it, we need to respect the landscape, we need to respect the property and the people鈥� it鈥檚 an extreme sport, you need to do it with caution,鈥� Vallejio said.
The paraglider competes in accuracy competitions, where he glides from a mountain top, to a marked landing zone. 鈥淚magine playing darts, you have to hit in the centre,鈥� Vallejo said.
鈥淭he feeling is right away you get nervous right? Every time I take off I鈥檓 always nervous, but it鈥檚 like a good rush. You don鈥檛 let that turn into panic. When you鈥檙e competing, obviously you鈥檙e so focused, I have to talk to myself,鈥� he said.
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鈥淵ou feel that rush, even though up there it鈥檚 colder, you don鈥檛 feel cold.
You feel hot, you鈥檙e blood is pumping鈥� plus the feeling of nothing holding you. Everyone dreams of eventually (flying,) with paragliding, you can achieve that鈥� You feel free.鈥�
Vallejo would like to see paragliding accuracy competitions in the Olympics.
鈥淚t鈥檚 awesome to represent Canada already,鈥� he said. 鈥淓ven though I鈥檓 from Columbia鈥� Spanish is my main language, but I think in English, talk in English鈥� when I represent Canada in these competitions, I feel like I鈥檓 representing my home country.鈥�
鈥淵ou feel proud, you feel like you do more, and eventually (hope to) be recognized for everyone.鈥�
carli.berry@kelownacapnews.com
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